Hope Holds Strong

    Often times I am blown away with people's capacity for hope. There are times when I hear people's stories and see the pain and hurt in their eyes, and all seems hopeless. And yet, I see a persistence, a hope, that refuses to die. I am astounded to see the strength of their hope.

   I sat talking with a beautiful teenager whose identity has been assaulted and beaten down over years. Her family is verbally abusive. She has faced abandonment and neglect. She often feels unloved and unwanted. Things have gotten intense in her home again. We sat in my room and she talked really openly about all of the hurt that she feels.
   So many young girls in her situation get married early to escape their harsh home lives. But not her. She looked at me with a fire in her eyes and said, "Honestly Lisa, I am really hurting. This is so hard, but my heart is strong and my hope isn't dead. I know that my God will help me." She possesses a rare strength. 
    She looked at me with this fiece hope burning in her tear-filled eyes. "I know the Lord has BIG plans for me and I will live them out. I know He hears my heart's cry and will help me. And I will wait on Him. I trust Him." She is strong. Her life is filled with struggle and hurt, but she knows the God who loves her unconditionally. His love fills every corner of her heart. She knows He has plans to give her a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). This hope is secure, an anchor for her soul in the midst of a tumultuous life (Hebrews 6:19). 
    I wiped the tears from my eyes as I told her how proud I am of her. I know she's hurting immensely, but her heart is so strong. She radiates the Holy Spirit that fills her life. I believe she will live forth the dreams He has for her and her future family will be different than her current one. She will break the cycle of spiritual poverty and abuse.

    She is a six year old rape victim. She has been living in an abusive home. She has been neglected and unloved. She was recently abandoned by her mother. If anyone has a reason to be guarded and untrusting, she does.
    And yet….

     Her heart is still open. She still hopes to be loved. Last Sunday night I was sitting beside her in church. I watched as her little head bobbed up and down as she tried to sleep in her chair. I learned over and whispered, "Hija if you want me to hold you so you can sleep. I think you'll be more comfortable." She smiled shyly, without uttering a word, she climbed up into my lap, leaned her head against my shoulder and was asleep in less than 30 seconds.
    I wrapped my arms around this sweet girl and just began to pray over her heart. I thought about all that she has endured in her short life and thought about the complete trust involved in allowing herself to just fall asleep in my lap. As I saw her capacity for trust, the hope she has to be loved well, the tears just began to stream down my cheeks. I held her and prayed healing over her heart and prayed for this hope to grow finding its fullness in the God who loves her without reserve and without condition. (Photo by Brandon Cobb)